Mobile communications matching system

ABSTRACT

A wireless communications network comprises a server in a central location storing matching profiles for a plurality of users of the network. The matching profile for each user is stored in the server through the user&#39;s mobile unit or a secure page on the Internet. Each matching profile is corresponded with a respective mobile unit using the same identification information (ID) of the respective mobile unit utilized for carrying out phone calls. The server has a customizable variable matching algorithm and probes the matching profiles corresponding to the respective mobile units in a cell or group of cells for a match every time a new mobile unit subscribes into the cell or group of cells. When there is a match of matching profiles, the two persons are put in contact or advised of each other through a phone call or other communications method.

This is a continuation of parent application Ser. No. 09/382,328, filedAug. 24, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,549,768.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to computerized methods and systems forproviding location-sensitive services in conjunction with a wirelesscommunications network. A particular aspect of the present inventionrelates to a computerized method and system of matching persons throughtheir mobile stations on the network.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, telephone calls over a wireless communications network mustbe initiated by a user who dials another person's phone number. Althoughthe calls may be subsequently forwarded to different phone numbers usingcall forwarding, etc., without the caller's knowledge, the callerusually must know the phone number of the person he or she wishes tocall and must initiate the call. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No.5,610,972 to Emery et al. There is no known method or system formatching persons on a wireless network.

Several methods and systems currently exist for generally matchingpeople having similar interests or other reason for willing to be put incontact with each other. For example, computer dating services matchpeople using a large database having a profile for each one of theircustomers. Each customer's profile contains personal information such asage, race, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, religion, height,weight, color of eyes and/or hair, smoking habits, education, interests,etc. This matching profile is used to match the customer with others. Inaddition to their own matching profile, each customer can also submit arequest which contains their preferences for a match with the matchingprofiles of other customers. In response to the request, the computerdating service searches the database for matching profiles which matchthe preferences in the request and then informs the requesting customerof the selected matches, if any. The match is typically recorded by somesort of a printed report.

Similar computer dating services currently exist on the Internet. Theseservices receive profile data and display information over the Internetand contact their customers via e-mail. They also may give theircustomers screen names so that matched persons can initially correspondwith each other via e-mail without revealing their identities. Anexample of such an Internet dating service is BestDate.com. (The date onwhich BestDate.com was first publicly used is not known and is notadmitted to be prior art.)

Unfortunately, there is a lack of immediacy to such computer datingservices. Although geographical information such as each person'saddress is stored and a matching request can specify a geographicalarea, the dating services cannot ensure that a person is located in therequested geographical area at the day or time of the request or thatthe person is available and desires to be matched at the time of therequest. There is also a problem that matches are only selected inresponse to a request therefor from a customer.

A possible real-time alternative is a wearable device which detects whenanother similar device is nearby. For example, Phillips ElectronicsN.V., has proposed so-called “hot badges” which are pre-loaded withpersonal information. It is described that the badges signal each otherwhen they store similar personal information and are within short radiorange of each other. It is apparently intended by the short radio rangethat the wearers will be close to each other and can initiate aconversation with each other. These hot badges appear to be conceptualand futuristic in nature and not adequately disclosed in the mannernecessary for one to design and manufacture the badges.

Belgium Patent Application No. 09700119 filed by Linda van Cappellenappears to describe similar devices. However, these devices also sufferthe disadvantages that they have a limited radio range and must containenough memory to store the personal information and the processingcircuitry necessary to operate the device and to determine whethernearby devices store similar personal information.

BRIEF SUMMARY

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed toinitiating contact through the handset of a person in a manner sensitiveto the location of the person in a cell or other area of a wirelesscommunications network. In a particular aspect of the invention, personsare matched with each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and a better understanding of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description of exampleembodiments and the claims when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, all forming a part of the disclosure of the invention. Whilethe foregoing and following written and illustrated disclosure focuseson disclosing example embodiments of the invention, it should be clearlyunderstood that the same is by way of illustration and example only andis not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of thepresent invention being limited only by the terms of the claims in thepatent issuing from this application.

FIG. 1 is a generalized block diagram providing a basic illustration ofthe major elements of a cellular network in which an exemplaryembodiment of the invention can be implemented.

FIG. 2 is a table illustrating the profile and other information of auser page suitable for use in the exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention seeks to provide amethod of initiating contact between persons utilizing a wirelesscommunications network on the basis of their physical location and thesimilarity of information which they have stored in the network. In onepossible application of the invention, contact is initiated betweenpeople who don't personally know each other but who have both indicatedan interest in meeting, or at least being put in contact with, otherpeople with similar interests. In another possible application of theinvention, contact is initiated between people who might know each otherbut who don't know that they are both present at the same time in acertain area and who have indicated a willingness to be put in contactwith each other when they are in a certain area at the same time.

The invention is not limited to these embodiments. It is more broadlydirected to a diverse set of useful, helpful and information services ina mobile terminal utilizing basic location information. It improves anyexisting or forthcoming service by utilizing basic location informationthrough the network as an immediate answer to the “Where am I?”question.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention can be incorporated into a GSMcellular phone network. Such a system has a plurality of cells whichtransmit calls to and from mobile stations. Although the GSM system is apreferred implementation of an exemplary embodiment, the invention isnot limited in its implementation to the GSM cellular radio networkdisclosed in this application or any other cellular network such as, forexample, a code division multiplex access (CDMA) system, Nordic MobileTelephone (NMT) system, DCS 1800, Personal Communication Network (PCN),Universal Mobile Communication (UMC), Universal Mobile TelecommunicationSystem (UMTS), or Future Public Land Mobile Telecommunication System(FPLMTS), etc. Indeed, the various embodiments of the invention aregenerally useful for any wireless communication network having, orhereafter developed to have, a location capability. Presently availableand future capabilities of location services will enable differentembodiments of this invention. For example, an embodiment of theinvention may be used in a PCS system, a micro-cellular system or awireless local area network (WLAN) such as bluetooth to providelocation-sensitive information. A bluetooth embodiment could be used,for example, in a museum or other building so that, when a person isstanding in an area in the vicinity of an object of interest,information concerning the object is automatically provided or providedupon request to the mobile station of that person. As the person movesfrom one area to another area, different information is so provided.

Other features of the invention may be apparent to those skilled in theart from the detailed description of the example embodiments and claimswhen read in connection with the accompanying drawings. While theforegoing and following written and illustrated disclosure focuses ondisclosing example embodiments of the invention, it should be understoodthat the same is by way of illustration and example only, is not to betaken by way of limitation and may be modified in learned practice ofthe invention.

In the application of the exemplary embodiment to a GSM networkillustrated in FIG. 1, the geographical area covered by a cellularnetwork is divided into smaller separate radio areas called cells.(While shown in FIG. 1 as non-overlapping hexagons, in practice, thecells are partially overlapping circles or ellipses.)

When in a cell 101, a mobile radio station, preferably a handset 102,communicates with the network via a fixed radio station, called a basestation (not shown), located in cell 101. Each base station communicatesby means of a bi-directional radio link with the mobile radio stationsin the corresponding cell. For clarity's sake, FIG. 1 shows only twohandsets next to service area 103-4, it being understood, as known inthe art, that there may be thousands of mobile stations which may travelfreely from any cell 101 to another and between and among service areas103-1 to 103-4.

In the cellular radio system shown as an example in FIG. 1, each servicearea 103 has its own VLR-msc 104. Merely for purposes of illustration,four service areas are provided in FIG. 1, each of which comprises arespective VLR-msc 104. For each VLR-msc 104, one or more base stationcontrollers BSC (not shown) are provided, controlling several basestations. Each base station controller controls the base stations of anumber of adjacent cells 101.

The cellular radio network must know the cell 101 in which the mobileradio station is located in order to be able to route calls to it. Theprocess by which the cell location of mobile stations is made known tothe cellular system is referred to as registration. Some cellularsystems also use registration of mobile stations as a means to, forexample, page the mobile stations for reasons other than routing callsor to balance the load between the access channel and the pagingchannel. Without any type of registration, mobile stations would need tobe paged over the entire cellular system, resulting in the transmissionof a number of pages per call delivery equal to the number of basestations in the system. Registering a mobile station every time it movesto the coverage area of a new base station thus substantially reducesthe number of pages per call delivery.

The exact details of the registration method used in a cellular systemis determined as a function of various parameters such as the cellularsystem size, the expected mobility of mobile stations within the system,and call delivery statistics or predictions. Since cellular systems canvary substantially with respect to these parameters, the specificationsfor CDMA and GSM systems allow for multiple different registrationprocedures. The different registration procedures can be independentlyenabled or disabled to allow any subset of registration methods to betailored to optimize the use of a cellular system.

Although the registration procedures can vary, in a typicalimplementation, the base stations of the cellular network constantlybroadcast information on themselves or their neighborhood, such as basestation identifier BSI, base station type identifier BSTI and so-calledneighboring cell information. On the basis of neighboring cellinformation broadcast by a respective base station, a mobile stationregistered in a cell 101 served by that base station recognizes thoseneighboring cells 101 the base-station transmission of which the mobilestation should monitor. When the signal strength of the current basestation weakens, the mobile station registers into the best of thesemonitored neighboring base stations (e.g. the one for which, from theviewpoint of the mobile station, the signal strength is then currentlythe strongest).

Cells 101 can be organized into groups of cells, each group of cellsbeing identified by a cell group identifier. Each base station that isin communication with a mobile station uses the cell group identifier toindicate to that mobile station the group of cells to which the basestation belongs. If the mobile station observes that the cell groupidentifier changes as the base station is changed, i.e. that the groupof cells changes, the mobile station initiates a location updating bytransmitting a location updating request to the cellular radio network.If the location area does not change when the base station changes, nolocation updating is carried out by the mobile station.

The location updating for each mobile station preferably initiatessubscriber data updating of the respective subscriber in a subscriberlocation register(s) of the cellular network. For instance, theexemplary cellular radio network shown in FIG. 1 includes home locationregisters (HLR) 105, visitor location registers and mobile switchingcenter (VLR-msc) 104, and base station controllers (BSC)(not shown)connected to the base stations of the network. The location area data ofthe subscriber is stored in a visitor location register of therespective VLR-msc 104, and an HLR 105 communicates with that respectiveVLR-msc 104 in order to receive the location area data indicating thecell and cell group where each subscriber is located.

In a preferred embodiment, each individual handset is identifiable byunique identification information (USER ID). For example, in GSM or TDMAsystems, there is a registration of the handset within the base stationwhich relates to one base station or group of base stations depending onthe network configuration. However, usually the registration of thehandset can generally be forced to one base station. When the handsetregisters into the base station, the ID of the handset can be sent tothe MSC and formed into groups of mobile stations registered in the samebase station. These groups of mobile station IDs can be sent to the HLR105 and its respectively co-located server 106. This server 106 performsthe function of trying to match and couple the profiles belonging to thesame groups of IDs (located in the same base station area) togetherusing matching engine 107.

The USER ID of each handset is stored in a variable location register ofthe respective VLR-msc 104, along with the cell and cell group of thelocation of each handset, in its respective service area 103. Thisinformation, as well as transition data, can be transferred from eachVLR-msc 104 to its corresponding HLR 105 where corresponding server 106is located.

Consequently, each corresponding HLR 105 of the cellular radio networkknows the location of each active mobile radio station within anaccuracy of an area consisting of one cell, this area generally beingcalled a location area. This cell and cell group are provided to server106 for each mobile station and is stored in the matching profile forthe corresponding USER ID.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, each HLR 105 has a server106 with a matching engine 107. (Although shown simply as a block inFIG. 1 for the sake of simplicity, matching engine 107 is preferablycomposed of software executing on server 106.) Each server 106 receivesand stores matching profiles for each USER ID corresponding to an activemobile station in service area 103. Preferably, the matching profile isretrieved and stored by server 106 when the mobile station first becomesactive in service area 103 and is maintained as long as the mobilestation remains active in service area 103.

The matching engine 107 implements a matching algorithm by carrying outa comparison of matching profiles for each USER ID having equivalentcell or cell group information. For example, the matching may beperformed only for profiles which are in the same cell or it may beperformed for profiles which are in the same cell group. The locationarea may be expanded into any one of a number of different location areasizes comprised of a plurality of cells as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,832,381 to Kauppi, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

In a preferred embodiment, the location area is reduced in size to besmaller than a single cell. This embodiment is especially advantageouswhen implemented with wideband CDMA handsets complying with FederalCommunications Commission (FCC) requirements for the handling of 911emergency calls by cellular system operators. The FCC requirementsutilize a combination of location services and 911 emergency services sothat a user is able, by pushing a button on the handset, to make theirlocation promptly available to the police or other appropriate personnelwithin an accuracy of about 125 meters. This is a natural extension forthe Enhanced 911 (E911) system for fixed phones in the United States.

The FCC requirements state that by Oct. 1, 2001 the system operatorsmust be able to identify the latitude and longitude of a mobile unitmaking a 911 call within a radius of no more than 125 meters in 67percent of all 911 emergency calls, using Root Mean Square calculations(success rate approximately 67 percent). The system operators mustprocess and transmit to the appropriate PSAP (Public Services AnsweringPoint) emergency center all 911 calls made from a wireless mobilestation, including calls initiated by a roaming mobile station or amobile station without authentication. At the same time, the informationof a caller's Automatic Number Identification (ANI) and the location ofthe base station or cell site must be relayed to the designated PSAP.Also, call-back and tracking of emergency 911 calls is required and theprocessing and connection of emergency 911 calls have highest priority.

The telecommunications standardization bodies in Europe (ETSI) and Japan(ARIB) have set their own requirements on location services. ETSIspecification UMTS 22.05, version 3.2.0, states requirements forlocation features in UMTS: “Location features shall also be supported,to allow new and innovative location based services to be developed”.

In Japan and other countries in the Far East, navigation services havebecome very popular. The addressing style in Japan is unclear sincethere are no geographically logical addresses, no street names ornumbers, and no cumulative building and apartment numbers. Blocks ofhouses are named and houses within the block are numbered according tothe order of construction. So even local people are often as lost asforeigners in their neighboring city.

Car navigation systems, traffic telematic and handheld GPS receivers arenow commercially available. However, the GPS positioning system is notideal in Japan and other urban areas because most buildings are verytall and a lot of urban and especially suburban traveling is made bysubway. In both of these cases, the GPS satellite signals are oftenblocked.

The realization of a positioning service in the invention can bedetermined by any one of several different methodologies: network-basedpositioning, mobile-based positioning, or a hybrid positionarchitecture. The most straight forward method for obtaining locationinformation where the location area size is smaller than the area of onecell is a network-based positioning method using triangulation of basestation signals on the ground since triangulation does not require anymodification of the mobile station. One possible method of usingtriangulation to achieve a position fix in a UMTS cellular networkmeasures the strength of the signal coming from the different basestation pilot signals.

However, handsets in GSM and other so-called 2^(nd) generation cellularsystems are presently required to be capable of providing informationabout the user's location and thus facilitate mobile-based positioning.Such a capability is also expected to be included in most 3^(rd)generation handsets in conjunction with emergency 911 services. Thesehandsets use location methods other than triangulation, such as adoptionof a global positioning system (GPS) receiving device, to determine, orassist in the determination of, location. GPS is more accurate thantriangulation systems and requires less computational power. Butincorporating GPS into a handset carries the aforementioned drawbackthat GPS doesn't work within rooms and houses and outside the line ofsight of some satellites.

Although numerous implementations of location capability in the handsetare possible, the location implementation is preferably autonomous sothat the handset itself can ask for its location or the location of thehandset can be requested by a base station and supplied by the handsetin response to the request. In any event, the location information soobtained is associated with the USER ID and can be automatically sent tothe base station during handset registration or whenever the USER IDinformation is sent to the base station. Alternatively, the locationinformation can be delivered to the base station when it is requestedirrespective of handset registration or transmission of the USER ID. Inthe exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the location information isthen transferred to HLR 105, provided to server 106 for each mobilestation and stored in the data profile for the corresponding USER ID.

In addition to the decision to provide location services for an areasmaller than a cell, the network operator can also choose the precisionof the location services, with the location precision even varying fromone part of the network to another. For example, it may be chosen to behundreds of meters in some places and as accurate as 5 meters in otherplaces. It should be possible to specify the area as a circular zone(center and radius) up to the highest resolution made possible by theaccuracy capability of the part of the serving network where the user isregistered. This accuracy can be improved by the usage of higherfrequencies in the network which will shrink the size of the cells. Theachievable accuracy also varies from place to place in differentenvironments. It is preferred that a minimum precision of around 50meters be achieved in all types of environments.

It is preferable that the precision of the location can be dynamicallydetermined by the network operator. The network operator preferably maybe able to set the precision requirement to vary from one part of thenetwork to another. The location precision may also be determined by theparticular application or service and is one of the network operatorselectable Quality of Service (QoS) parameters.

The location method is preferably, but not necessarily, independent ofmobile station status so that there is a location fix even when themobile is idle. Several other design features, such as adaptive antennatechnique, path loss estimation technique, etc., are optional in orderto allow the network operator to conduct a service effectively.

The mobile station user shall preferably be able to restrict access tothe location information (either permanently or on a per call basis).The restriction can preferably be overridden by the network operatorwhen appropriate (e.g., emergency calls).

It is also preferably possible to optionally set the frequency ofposition information updates in applications where the locationinformation is automatically and repeatedly provided or the amount ofdelay experienced before location information is received inapplications where there must be a specific request for locationinformation. The frequency of the information update or delay inproviding location information will of course influence the performanceof the network. It is preferred that there be a minimal delay for thepreferred automatic matching embodiment described in this application.

In a UMTS network, location information can be categorized to two levelsof accuracy. The basic level of location information is what the networkobtains without extra signaling from the mobile station. The advancedlevel of location information is obtained through extra signaling.

A locations services server is preferably provided in the network toobtain the horizontal location of the calling mobile station in terms ofuniversal latitude and longitude co-ordinates. The location services inthe network preferably allow a location services client to specify ornegotiate the required horizontal accuracy. The location services clientshall preferably normally attempt to satisfy or approach as closely aspossible the requested or negotiated accuracy when other quality ofservice parameters are not in conflict. To provide for more stringentservice requirements, the location services server may provide higheraccuracy. The locations services server provides the location servicecapabilities but the mechanism by which location information is reportedto a location services client is dependent on the desired performance ofthe application or service as described above.

Specific details of another location method suitable for use in anembodiment of the invention are described by Draft Location Parametersand Message Structure—Ver 2.0, Location Parameters Ad Hoc Group, Mar.15-19, 1999 and the website of the US Wireless Company(www.uswcorp.com/USWCMainPages/laby.htm).

Preferably, the handset used in a mobile-based positioning methodembodiment of the invention is a combination of GPS andtrilateration—(time of arrival measure of the signal coming from thedifferent base stations) in the handset. The handset operates in a dualmode system in which GPS is normally used and trilateration (time ofarrival measurement or difference of time of arrival measurement) isused instead if GPS is not available with full accuracy because, forexample, the handset is inside a building.

In any event, in an embodiment having a location area size less than thearea of a cell, instead of searching for a match between two handsetswhich are within the same cell or cell group, matching engine 107 isprogrammed and controlled using, for example, software stored withserver 106, to search for handsets where the difference between theposition of the handsets is below a certain threshold, and then triggersthe matching algorithm for matching the profiles of the twocorresponding USER IDs.

Server 109 has two main operations. First, it operates as an Internetserver such as that typically utilized for providing web pages. Thematching profile (the characteristics of the service subscriber such asbusiness interests, personal interests, identity information of peoplewhose proximity he wants to be aware of and put in contact with if closeenough, etc.) and requests for matches (interests and characteristics ofpeople whose proximity will trigger the request for communication or asimple message) are created for each user of the cellular network andstored, at least initially, in server 109 along with informationidentifying the user in the cellular network. The matching profile mayrange from very generic common interests to the specific identity ofknown persons. This identity information may or may not include the USERID corresponding to the user that is utilized in the cellular network. Auser's interaction with their respective profile and related informationin the form of a secure internet page is supported by their handset. Thehandset having integrated browsing capabilities or by a separate browsersuch as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator to be accessed through asecure page by any personal computer with access to the secure internetpage. In either instance, the contents of an exemplary Internet userpage is shown in FIG. 2.

The matching profile 201 in FIG. 2 is not limited to those itemsdiscussed above with relation to a dating service. In particular,matching profile 201 may have just a few simple fields. For example, theinvention could be applied in the situation of a large number of peopleattending a convention or other large event at the same conventioncenter or other meeting place. The matching profile 201 could have asimple field identifying the user as one of the persons attending theevent. The matching system could be set up to identify those personsonce they enter the location area surrounding the convention center sothat they are “matched” with the information center or registration deskof the convention who can in turn provide assistance. In thisapplication, there is no need for extensive personal information,however the information provided for the user is still referred to as a“matching” profile for the purposes of this application.

Another example embodiment of the invention automatically establishescommunication with the closest friend or other person with whom there isa match using a matching algorithm. This embodiment essentially operatesonly upon a user's request rather than automatically and sequentiallyexpands the matching area to larger and larger areas from the user'slocation until the first match is gained. The expansion can consist ofexpanding the group of cells. Alternatively, the area can be expanded byincreasing the threshold matching distance. In such a case, the simpledifference in location of two mobiles will give a distance between themwhich can be used as the basis for expansion. The distance can be usedas an initial threshold distance between two mobiles in any embodimentto trigger the matching algorithm or to expand the matching area.

Request profile 202 likewise need not include personal information. Theuse of request profile 202 is disclosed elsewhere in this application.

Logbook 203 can store each of the matches that have previously occurredfor that user. Each entry of the logbook can contain all of theinformation provided to the user in the message signal informing them ofthe match as described in detail below. This information may contain thematching profile of the other person with whom the user is matched andthe criteria or algorithm by which the match occurred. Preferably, thelogbook automatically stores the time, date and location of the matchand provides the user with an electronic journal in which notes andcomments can be entered concerning the match. The log book canpreferably be operated by the user so that a certain match should bedisregarded in the future. With such a feature, each match iscross-checked against the logbook of the handset and the match isannounced to the user only if the logbook does not indicate that thematch is disapproved by the user.

Matching parameters 204 allows the user to specify the constraints forstating when matching should be attempted. These parameters differ fromthe request profile 202 which includes the information to be used whenperforming the matching algorithm. These parameters typically wouldspecify the location area size the user desires (cell, group of cells,etc) and the time at which matching should be attempted (for example,prohibiting matches between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.)

At some point in time, HLR 105 provides a request to server 109 for thematching profiles of each user as described above. Preferably, therequest from HLR 105 is made as soon as the user is registered in HLR105. The matching profile (and request profile, including preferences)for the user is read out of server 109 in response to the request,reformatted in profiles transition 108, and stored in server 106corresponding to the requesting HLR 105. The matching profile of thenewly added user is then compared with the respective matching profilesof the other users located in the same location area (which may be acell, group of cells, or location area less than the area of a cell) asthe newly added user. For users providing a request profile, the matchesare conducted using the preferences in the request profile. Otherwise, amatching algorithm provides select matches using a standard matchingalgorithm. In any event, the matching process is carried outautomatically and in real-time whenever the user enters a new locationarea (through registration of the user ID in HLR 105) without therebeing any action necessarily required by the user at that time. From theperspective of the user, their handset is constantly and automaticallyscanning for matching opportunities each time they enter a new locationarea. In an alternative embodiment, the user has the option to enable ordisable matching by a simple input process using the handset. However,even in such an embodiment the user only needs to submit their matchingprofile and request profile once, and it appears that their profilefollows them as they travel throughout the network. However, ii ishighly preferable that, in no case at the occurrence of a match, willthe actual telephone number be exchanged automatically between twopeople not knowing each other without each of their permission.

In an alternative embodiment, the servers 106 can be deleted and therespective matching engines 107 can be associated with server 109instead of with servers 106. This embodiment expands the range of asingle matching engine so that it can be, for example, national orinternational in range and also avoids the need to install separateservers at each HLR 105. In such an embodiment, each HLR 105 checks theUSER ID of each user in its service areas 103 and forwards the USER IDto server 109 where matching is to be performed for that USER ID. Suchan embodiment is optimal for a matching service for customers whofrequently travel to different cities or countries and wish to bematched with others in that city or country who have similar interests.Depending on the amount of traffic and matching performed, there may betoo much processing required for a single matching engine 107, in whichcase, the matching engine will be distributed as exemplified in theembodiment shown in FIG. 1. The distributed system shown in FIG. 1 isalso preferable for networks in which different areas have differentstandards or protocols. The servers 106 may be different from each otherand the profiles transition 108 may provide different transitions sothat the same common profile in Internet server 109 could be provided todifferent networks.

In any of the above described embodiments, when a match is made in thematching engine, information identifying the two USER IDs matched issent to home location register 105 and is then forwarded to VLR-msc 104corresponding to the location area in which the mobile stations arelocated. (In the event that the location area includes cellscorresponding to the service areas of more than one VLR-msc 104, thenthe information is sent to each VLR-msc 104 corresponding to one of thematched mobile stations.) VLR-msc 104 then communicates with the basestation corresponding to one of the matched mobile stations and informsthe base station of the match. The base station then sends a messagesignal to the mobile station. In a preferred embodiment, the messagesignal is a prompt instructing the user of the mobile station of thematch and prompting them to initiate a phone call with the mobilestation with which they have been matched. The prompt preferablyincludes some characteristics of the match occurred and, only if theusers have agreed, the phone numbers of the persons being matched orother information by which a phone call can be initiated with thematched person without knowing their phone number. The prompt could alsoinclude the name of the user of the other mobile station and/orinformation in the profile of the user of the other mobile station. Inthe case that a group of people already know each other, thisinformation can be included in their matching profile and the user canbe immediately informed and put in contact with any one of those peoplewho happens to be in his matching area.

Alternatively, the message signal could provide only the information inthe profile of the user of the other mobile station and a network codeor other call authorization mechanism by which a phone call can becompleted. In this way, the call can be completed anonymously over thenetwork without providing the name or phone number of the other mobilestation. The user has the option to immediately complete the call byresponding to the prompt or storing the profile information andassociated network code or other call authorization mechanism in a logbook where it can be later retrieved and call completed at that time ifdesired.

Alternatively, although the message signal to only one of the two mobilestations has been discussed, a message signal could be sent to both ofthe mobile stations in either one of the variations described above sothat the user of either one of the two mobile stations can initiate thecall. The preferences for the mode of delivery of the message signal inthe event of a match, can be decided individually by each user andstored in their respective matching profile. If permitted by each user'sprofile, a call could be setup and dialed automatically between the twousers without the need for any further action by either one of the twousers. Such an embodiment is especially preferable in an application ofthe invention in a local wireless LAN, such as blue tooth, where thematching of persons not previously knowing each other but having similarinterests is a primary goal of those persons present in the location.Such an embodiment provides the clearest improvement in situationscontemplated by the “hot badges” proposed by Phillips.

While the foregoing has described what are considered to be exampleembodiments of the invention, it is understood that variousmodifications may be made therein and that the invention may beimplemented in various forms and embodiments, and that it may be appliedin numerous applications, only some of which have been described herein.It is intended by the following claims to claim all such modificationsand variations.

1. A mobile device operable within a wireless communications network,the mobile device comprising: a communications device adapted to receivewireless communication indications of a match that occurred within thewireless communications network between a profile, stored in saidwireless network and associated with a first user of said mobile device,and another profile, stored in said wireless network and associated witha second user of another mobile device, wherein said match is based onsimilarities between said profiles and on a relative location of saidmobile device and said another mobile device, said similaritiesincluding a matched field of the profiles identifying the first user andthe second user as persons attending an event, and wherein said match isbased on sequentially expanding a matching area until said match occurs,up to a threshold distance from said relative location of said mobiledevice.
 2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the similarity betweenprofiles comprises one of an alphanumerical code and a password agreedupon by said first user and said second user.
 3. The mobile device ofclaim 1, wherein a degree of similarity threshold for an occurrence ofthe match between said profiles can be adjusted by said first user. 4.The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the similarities between profilesincludes interests of users.
 5. The mobile device of claim 4, whereinthe match indicates similar interests of the first user of the mobiledevice and the second user of the another mobile device.
 6. The mobiledevice of claim 1, wherein the similarities between profiles includescharacteristics of users.
 7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein thematch indicates similar characteristics of the first user of the mobiledevice and the second user of the another mobile device.
 8. The mobiledevice of claim 1, wherein the profile contains information indicatingwhether or not the first user wishes to participate in a method forinitiating contact with other users of mobile devices within thenetwork.
 9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the first user of themobile device may change the profile indicating whether or not the firstuser wishes to participate in the method for initiating contact withother users of mobile devices within the network.
 10. The mobile deviceof claim 1, wherein the wireless communication indications includeinformation to initiate contact with the second user, and afterreceiving the wireless communication indications, the first user has theoption to initiate contact using the information, store said informationor delete said information.
 11. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein,in the event of a match, the mobile device automatically triggers aphone call between the first user and the second user.
 12. The mobiledevice of claim 1, wherein the profile is created and stored in thenetwork through the mobile device.
 13. The mobile device of claim 1,wherein said mobile device comprises a cellular phone or a wirelessPersonal Communications System (PCS).
 14. The mobile device of claim 1,wherein said wireless communication indications include at leastinformation to permit said mobile device to contact the another mobiledevice associated with the second user via said wireless communicationsnetwork.
 15. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said profile includesactivation data and location data with respect to said users' respectivecurrent geographical location.
 16. The mobile device of claim 15,wherein said activation data comprises a request to be linked to one ormore other active users who fulfill a requirement defined in saidrequest, and whom are currently located in a same relative geographicallocation defined in said request.
 17. The mobile device according toclaim 1, wherein said relative location includes a location areasurrounding the event.
 18. A mobile device operable within a wirelesscommunications network, the mobile device adapted to receive a wirelesscommunication indication of a match between a profile associated withthe mobile device and another profile associated with another mobiledevice, the match being based on similar features of said profile andsaid another profile and on a relative location of said mobile deviceand said another mobile device, said relative location including adistance between said mobile device and said another mobile device andwherein the match is based on sequentially expanding a matching areauntil the match occurs, up to a threshold distance from the relativelocation of the mobile device.
 19. The mobile device of claim 18,wherein the similar features between profiles comprises one of analphanumerical code and a password agreed upon by a first user of themobile device and a second user of the another mobile device.
 20. Themobile device of claim 18, wherein a degree of similarity threshold foran occurrence of the match between said profiles can be adjusted by afirst user of the mobile device.
 21. The mobile device of claim 18,wherein the similar features of the profiles includes interests ofusers.
 22. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein the match indicatessimilar interests of a first user of the mobile device and a second userof the another mobile device.
 23. The mobile device of claim 18, whereinthe similar features of profiles includes characteristics of users. 24.The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the match indicates similarcharacteristics of a first user of the mobile device and a second userof the another mobile device.
 25. The mobile device of claim 18, whereinthe profile associated with the mobile device contains informationindicating whether or not a user of the mobile device wishes toparticipate in a method for initiating contact with other users ofmobile devices within the network.
 26. The mobile device of claim 25,wherein a user of the mobile device may change the profile indicatingwhether or not the user wishes to participate in the method forinitiating contact with other users of mobile devices within thenetwork.
 27. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the wirelesscommunication indication includes information to initiate contact withsaid another mobile device, and after receiving the wirelesscommunication indication a user of the mobile device has the option toinitiate contact using the information, store said information or deletesaid information.
 28. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein, in theevent of a match, the mobile device automatically triggers a phone callbetween the mobile device and the another mobile device.
 29. The mobiledevice of claim 18, wherein the profile is created and stored in thenetwork through the mobile device.
 30. The mobile device of claim 18,wherein said mobile device comprises a cellular phone or a wirelessPersonal Communications System (PCS).
 31. The mobile device of claim 18,wherein said wireless communication indication includes at leastinformation to permit said mobile device to contact the another mobiledevice via said wireless communications network.
 32. The mobile deviceof claim 18, wherein said profile includes activation data and locationdata with respect to said users' respective current geographicallocation.
 33. The mobile device of claim 32, wherein said activationdata comprises a request to be linked to one or more other active userswho fulfill a requirement defined in said request, and whom arecurrently located in a same relative geographical location defined insaid request.
 34. The mobile device according to claim 18, wherein thematching area expands up to an area less than the threshold distance.